


River of Stars

by supurbangothic



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Altissia, Bants, Bros Bein Bros, Fluff, Insomniac!Prompto, gondola ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 02:13:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9945740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supurbangothic/pseuds/supurbangothic
Summary: I just wanted to write a Noctis and Prompto moonlit gondola ride with bants and fluff, so here ya go.





	

When he was a teenager, Prompto resented the irony of living in a city named Insomnia. It seemed like some kind of divine joke, and a small part of him couldn’t help but wonder if he would be able to sleep normally had he been born elsewhere. Of course, a larger part of him knew that was ridiculous, and that his own insomnia was just something he had to live with. At least, until he was sixteen and his mother took him to the doctor because he fell asleep while driving for the third time in a month. The medicine helps, but there are still nights that he can’t get to sleep, no matter how many sheep he counts or sleeping pills he takes.

Tonight is one of those nights. Although they rented their rooms hours ago, Prompto’s still awake, shifting restlessly in his attempts to get to sleep. Noctis is snoring quietly beside him, completely undisturbed by Prompto’s tossing and turning. At the beginning of their little road trip, Ignis and Gladio had taken turns bunking with Noct. However, both of them were light sleepers, and it was quickly made apparent that Prompto’s incessant movement in the night made for a very cranky bodyguard/advisor in the morning. So, Prompto was shoehorned into being the one lucky enough to drag His Majesty out of bed every morning, and everyone (minus Prompto, occasionally) typically got a good night’s sleep.

Prompto rolls onto his back, staring up at the ceiling and listening to the waterfalls outside. Altissia is a beautiful city, dominated by sparkling blue water and spires that reach into the sky. As soon as Prompto caught a glimpse of the city from around the cliffs, his shutter finger had itched to start snapping pictures. He’s a little disappointed that the lighting at the bar hadn’t provided the right opportunity, but he shrugs it off. They have time to go back tomorrow, when it’s brighter out.

He sighs and turns his head to look at Noctis, who has stopped snoring but is now drooling, creating a wet patch on the pillow beneath his head. Prompto laughs quietly and snatches his phone from the bedside table, holding it up to take a picture. Noctis will probably kill him for it later, but he can’t help it. The prince is just too cute when he’s asleep. Prompto presses the button for the photo, and three things happen at once. A loud  _ click  _ noise echoes through the room, the flash goes off, and Prompto squeals as a reaction to both of these occurrences.

He slaps a hand over his mouth, but it’s too late. Noctis’ face scrunches up adorably, and Prompto wishes he could take another picture. The prince opens his eyes. Prompto freezes, holding his breath, and for a moment they just stare at each other. Noctis narrows his eyes.

“What did you just do?” he asks, his voice rough from sleep.

“Nothing!” Prompto replies, too quickly. At Noctis’ skeptical look, he continues, “Really, I didn’t do anything! Nothing at all! You can go back to sleep now, nighty night Noct!” He quickly rolls onto his other side, but underestimates how close he is to the edge of the bed, and falls onto the floor with an undignified screech and a  _ thunk.  _ “Owwww…”

Noctis peeks over the side of the bed, and Prompto can see that he’s smiling a little, even in the dark. So Prompto’s not about to be dismantled by a grumpy prince for disturbing his beauty rest. He sends a quick prayer to Leviathan (it’s only fair, they are in her city, after all), and sits up, rubbing his head. Noctis is still looking at him, but his expression has shifted into something harder to read.

“Have you been up all night?” he asks. Prompto hears concern in his voice and winces a little. He hates when his friends worry about him, especially Noct. He has the fate of an entire kingdom to worry about already, and here he is wasting the energy on Prompto. That thought keeps Prompto from feeling too bad when he blinks and answers, “No.”

He can’t exactly see Noctis, but the Prince tilts his head forward a little and Prompto winces, again.  _ Shit. _

“Prompto,” Noctis says, his voice cajoling and a little exasperated. “Come on man, you know I know that’s bullshit. Did you take your pills?” He asks the question the same way Prompto’s mother does, when he calls her at 2 A.M. and she still answers the phone. Like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and Prompto is grateful for it.

“Yeah.” He nods. “Just...sometimes they don’t work. It’s no big deal. I slept pretty well last night, so.” He shrugs, raising his hands a little before letting them drop to his sides. Noctis huffs.

“You should have told me that the pills haven’t been working. Or if not me, then at least Ignis. I think he went to med school for a little while, he might know what to do.” Noctis pulls a hand through his unruly hair, trying to tame his bedhead but only succeeding in making it worse. Prompto laughs.

“You look like a chocobo chick!” He giggles and bats Noctis’ hand away, fixing the prince’s hair himself before settling back where he was. “Much better. And the pills usually work, so you don’t have to worry about it, really. I can deal with a few sleepless nights every now and then.” Noctis looks like he wants to argue but lets go of it, rolling back over to his side of a bed with a huff. Prompto smiles and gets up, resituating himself on the bed next to the prince. There’s a long moment of silence, and he thinks Noct has fallen back asleep, when his friend startles him by speaking.

“So, what do you do? When you can’t sleep, I mean.” Noctis’ eyes are open, and he’s staring at the ceiling with his arms tucked behind his head. Prompto tries not to let on his surprise that the prince is still awake. Usually, Noctis is asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. Not that Prompto blames him, the guy has a lot on his plate.

“Um...this, pretty much. Lay in bed. Look around. Try to sleep. Not very exciting, sorry to disappoint you.” he says, gesturing around the room with his hand at the word “this.” Noctis snorts and shakes his head.

“ ‘M not disappointed, I was just wondering. Don’t you get bored?” he asks.

“Kind of. Sometimes I go on walks, if we’re in a city. I used to do that a lot, back home.” Prompto watches Noctis’ expression carefully when he mentions Insomnia. The prince hasn’t been closed off about his feelings since the Empire invaded, exactly, but he hasn’t been warm and fuzzy, either. Granted, Noct’s never really been that way, but Prompto worries anyway. As “Best Friend,” it’s sort of his job. Ignis and Gladio are great and all, but Noct craves their approval. He doesn’t open up to them the same way he does with Prompto, doesn’t want them to see him as weak, as if they could. They’ve always seen him as Prince Noctis, taught him practically since birth. Prompto, on the other hand, has only ever been to the Citadel a handful of times. He’s more familiar with the high-rise apartment on Third Street, with movie nights and popcorn fights. Yeah, Noctis is his prince, but before that, he’s Prompto’s best friend.

At the mention of Insomnia, Noctis’ gaze gets unfocused, as if he’s looking at something in his mind’s eye. Prompto wonders what it is, but doesn’t ask. Instead, he lays a hand on Noctis’ arm in a gesture he hopes is comforting. Noct flinches at the sudden contact but quickly relaxes into the touch, turning his head towards Prompto and smiling, a bit sadly. Prompto smiles back, but he wishes he could do more. The gear in his head turn as he thinks of a way to cheer up his friend. Suddenly, he gets an idea.

“Hey, Noct.” he says, grinning. Noctis looks skeptical at his sudden burst of excitement, but takes the bait anyways.

“What?”

“Let’s go on a gondola ride!” Prompto sits up, staring into Noctis’ eyes eagerly. The prince blinks.

“Wait, now? Prom, it’s like one in the morning!” Noctis exclaims, but sits up anyway, the sheet sliding to bunch at his waist.

“Yeah! The city is probably super pretty at night. C’mon, Noct!” Prompto whines, tugging at his arm. Noctis sighs and pauses for a few seconds, as if deliberating. Finally, his head slumps and he huffs.

“Fine. But if I fall asleep, you’re carrying me back.” He points a finger at Prompto in warning and gets out of bed, pulling his shirt on and slipping into his shoes.

“Yes! Thank you, Noct!” Prompto pulls on his shoes hurriedly, almost tripping as he heads out the door. It’s only when he hears Noctis snickering does he pause, looking down to see that his shoes are on the wrong feet. He curses and switches them quickly, jamming his feet in without bothering to untie them. The pair sneak by Ignis and Gladio’s room, stifling their laughter because they feel like teenagers again, sneaking out of the apartment to go to some party that Ignis would definitely not approve of.

They reach the gondola without error, and the boatman gives them a tired smile as they board.

“Where are we headed, gentlemen?” he asks, pushing away from the boarding platform.

“Just take us around.” Noctis says, and hands the man an ungodly amount of gil. The man gapes for a second before spluttering his thanks and focusing on his task, letting Noctis and Prompto enjoy their ride in peace.

Prompto was right, the city is beautiful at night. The moon and stars shine bright in the sky, reflected in the canals and giving the illusion that they’re traveling through a river of silvery light. The city glows warmly with yellow lights from streetlamps and shops, and occasionally they’ll pass a restaurant or piazza where people are laughing and talking gaily, and Prompto feels happy just watching the world be happy.

When he looks over at Noctis, the prince is smiling and watching a group of four men about their age, sitting around a table playing cards. From a distance, there’s no real way of telling how the game is turning out, but all the men are laughing and joking raucously, and their joy seems contagious. Prompto bumps his shoulder against Noct’s and grins when the prince turns to smile at him.

“See, I told you this was a good idea!” Prompto says. Noctis smiles and throws an arm around Prompto’s shoulder.

“It was. Congrats, after six years you finally had a good idea!” He ruffles Prompto’s hair, and the blonde shrieks and bats his hand away.

“Hey! That is so not true! Remember that giant domino chain we made? That was a good idea!” It had been. The line of dominos had snaked through the entire apartment, from Noctis’ private bathroom all the way to the front door. It had taken them eight whole hours to finish, although it probably would have taken less time if Prompto hadn’t accidentally knocked them all down halfway through. Noct had almost strangled him. It was worth it.

Noctis laughs at the memory, taking his arm off Prompto’s shoulder and dropping it to the side. As they pass a part of the canal that’s hidden away from the path the gondolas usually take, Noctis makes an appraising sound. “That would be a good fishing spot.”

Prompto nods, although he knows nothing about fishing. Noctis tried to teach him once, but it ended up with a hook in the prince’s face and a soaking wet Prompto. He shudders at the memory of the scolding he got from Ignis afterwards. 

“Yeah! And that bar we visited would be great for a photo, don’cha think?” he asks, and Noctis nods. Prompto knows he’s being nice, that Noctis knows as much about photography as he does about fishing, but he appreciates the gesture.

They pass another restaurant, and the scent of newly-baked bread and cooking meat makes Prompto’s stomach growl, loudly. Noctis snorts and asks the boatman to pull over to the side, where he tells Prompto to “stay here” before jogging into the restaurant. While he’s gone, Prompto busies himself by taking pictures of the city with his phone camera, as well as taking a commemorative selfie with Gregory, as he now knows the boatman to be called. Noctis returns about five minutes later, carrying a take-out box. He carefully climbs back into the boat and plops the box on Prompto’s lap.

“There you go, you fatty.” he says, smirking.

“Hey! I am not fat, thank you very much. Not anymore, at least.” Prompto isn’t ashamed of how he used to be. In fact, it’s a matter of pride, how he managed to slim down all on his own. He knows that his friends are proud of him too, which is why he can laugh at jokes that stung when he was in high school.

He opens the take-away box to find a toasted bean and cheese sandwich, and his mouth starts watering immediately. He scarfs it down quickly, too hungry to worry about getting a stomachache. Noctis just watches him and laughs.

“I’ll never understand why you like beans. They’re all..mushy.” Noctis says, scrunching his nose in disgust. “And you like meat just fine, so it’s not like you need them for the protein.”

“Noct, you don’t even like carrots. I’m not surprised you can’t see the subtle beauty of the bean, either.” Prompto says between bites.

“Um, ew? Don’t talk with your mouth full, weirdo.” Noctis knocked their shoulders together. “And you got the ‘subtle’ part right, they don’t have any flavor!  _ And  _ carrots are disgusting, so there.” He crosses his arms and juts out his bottom lip in a mock-pout, but Prompto can see that he’s trying not to smile.

“Alright Princess, you just keep saying that. Wait until the day Ignis makes you a carrot cake for your birthday and you eat  _ the whole thing  _ without even realizing.” Prompto polishes off his sandwich and offers the complimentary pickle to Noctis, who accepts it even while he’s still pouting.

“Alright, boys. Hotel Leville, coming up on the right.” Gregory says, steering the gondola towards the canal’s edge. They get out carefully, Noctis offering his hand to Prompto as if he’s some distinguished lady. Prompto giggles, high-pitched, and bats his eyelashes at Noctis. The prince snorts and rolls his eyes.

“Come on, you dork.” He tugs Prompto along by their still-connected hands, and Prompto turns and waves at Gregory before they’re back inside the hotel lobby. They take the stairs to their room on the third floor, not wanting to wake Gladio and Ignis, whose room is right across from the elevator. They sneak by the door more quietly than last time, slipping into their own room without incident. Noctis tugs off his shoes and collapses into bed immediately, while Prompto chucks his empty take-out box in the trash and sits on the edge of the bed for a moment. Then, he takes off his shoes and lays back, next to Noctis. The prince shifts positions with a grunt, opting to throw an arm over Prompto’s chest and rest his chin in the crook of Prompto’s shoulder. The blonde smiles at his friend before closing his eyes, surprises to find that his eyelids are heavy with exhaustion. Noctis’ even breaths tickle his neck a bit, but he’s warm and fed, with the sights of moonlit Altissia still dancing behind his eyelids.

He sighs, almost unconsciously, feeling his thoughts slipping away. His breathing evens out and before he can tell it’s happening, he falls asleep to dream of rivers of starlight and a city with spires made of carrot cake, of Noctis screeching with indignation at the latter.


End file.
